Railway Science (Environment – Environmental Wastes)

Joint forest management (JFM) was introduced by the Government of India in the 1980s which aimed at the combined effort of the forest department and the local people to manage and protect the forests.

In some cities and towns, municipalities provide separate dustbins to collect the two types of waste. Usually one is blue and the other is green. The blue bin is for materials that can be reused – such as plastic, metal and glass. The Green bins are for collecting kitchen and other plant or animal waste. This type of waste rots completely when buried in the soil.

Biodegradation - A product is biodegradable when it can be decomposed by biological organisms (bacteria, fungi, algae) in a favourable environment (temperature, humidity, light, oxygen).
Types of Biodegradation - Anaerobic (without oxygen) or Aerobic (in the presence of oxygen). Biodegradable plastics lessen the amount of greenhouse gas emissions.

Recyclable - reusing the old substance with some changes rather than using a new one. Biodegradable - Those substances that can be decomposed on earth without any harm. Example - Animal waste and plant waste.

Categories of Biomedical Waste: Yellow Colour - Human and Animal Anatomical Waste, Soiled Waste, Chemical Waste, Microbiology, Biotechnology and other clinical laboratory waste. Red Colour - intravenous tubes and sets, catheters, urine bags.
White Colour - Needles, syringes with fixed needles, scalpels, blades. Blue Colour - Broken or discarded and contaminated glass including medicine vials and ampoules except those contaminated with cytotoxic wastes.

Non - biodegradable substances are incapable of being broken into smaller decomposable pieces by the action of bacteria, fungi etc. Examples: Plastic, polythenes, plastic bottles, and other plastic-related products, Glass materials, Metals, batteries, A large number of medical wastes. Biodegradable substances are those that decompose with time. Example - Animal waste.

Incineration - Waste treatment process that involves the combustion of substances contained in waste materials. Landfills are low-lying areas that are used for the disposal of waste materials. Composting denotes an aerobic method of decomposing organic solid waste.
Ocean dumping - Any deliberate disposal of wastes or other matter from vessels, aircraft, platforms or other man-made structures at sea.

Segregation at Source - The process of separation of solid waste into four groups i.e., organic, inorganic, recyclables and hazardous wastes.

Biodegradable waste are materials that decompose naturally by biotic (bacteria, fungi, plants, animals , etc.) factors. Examples - vegetable peels, wood, paper etc.

The materials that can be recycled items are glass, aluminum, plastic water bottles, metal scrap, different kinds of paper, electronics, computers, cellular phones. Non-recyclable items - Garbage, Food waste, Food-tainted items, Ceramics and kitchenware, Windows and mirrors, Plastic wrap, Packing peanuts and bubble wrap, Wax boxes.